


The calm before Christmas

by lostonplatform934



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Harry Potter, Canon Compliant, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Daily Prophet, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Hinny, Hogwarts, James Sirius Potter - Freeform, Lily Luna Potter - Freeform, Married Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Minister for Magic Hermione Granger, Minor Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, No Plot/Plotless, One Shot, POV Ginny Weasley, Post-Hogwarts, Quidditch, Romance, Snogging, Teddy Lupin - Freeform, albus serverus potter - Freeform, mentioned Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley - Freeform, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-23 21:56:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17088458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostonplatform934/pseuds/lostonplatform934
Summary: The night before James and Albus return home from Hogwarts for Christmas break, Harry and Ginny relax in each other's arms.





	The calm before Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> I intended this to be more Christmas-y than it turned out to be, but it is still pure fluff. Set days before Christmas 2018.

Ginny got home late the night before the boys were set to return home from Hogwarts for Christmas. The Quidditch match she had had to cover for the Prophet had ended well past her deadline. She had finished the article on time, but hadn’t been able to include the final score of the game. 

It wasn’t a big deal, she told herself. The regular season had ended last month. This had just been a holiday charity match, so the score didn’t really matter. 

Ginny had really just wanted to go home after she owl’d her story to the Prophet, but she had felt like she should stick it out. It was a pretty good match with Britain’s top players from different teams competing. More importantly, the proceeds would go toward Hogwart’s fund for students who could not afford school books. Seeing as Ginny had benefited from that fund her entire Hogwarts career, she felt she had to support the event. 

But as she schmoozed with the Wizarding elite, all she could think about was how tired she was, how much present wrapping she had to still do and how she just wanted to get home to Harry and Lily. Harry was supposed to have brought Lily to the match, but he got caught up at the auror office, so Ron had taken Lily and Hugo instead. They had left early though when the game started to go long. Both families had to be up early to drive to London and get James, Al and Rose off the train. 

Exhausted, Ginny tore off her boots and cloak and put them in the closet. She nearly tripped on a box of Christmas decorations on the floor when she walked into the kitchen for a drink of water. 

Cursing under breath, Ginny made a mental note to scold Lily in the morning. She was certain it had been her daughter who had left the box there. Lily could not wait for Christmas, but had refused to let the family do any decorating until her brothers came home. But Lily had pulled out all the decorations from the attic, so they could get started as soon as the boys arrived. 

Ginny understood how her daughter felt though. James was in his fourth year and Albus in his second, and Lily was sick of seeing her brothers go off to Hogwarts, while she was left at home alone. Lily had thrown a massive fit before the boys went to school in the fall. It had only been quelled with the promise that she could spend an entire day with Teddy, her favorite godbrother. 

Snoring was coming from the living room. There Ginny found her husband slouched on the couch, one leg on a foot rest, his head lolled to the side, mouth agape and glasses askew. He was still wearing his robes and a long scroll of parchment was falling onto the ground. She briefly considered poking him playfully with her wand, but thought that would be cruel. 

He jumped awake as soon as she sat down beside him. 

“It’s okay,” she murmured. “It’s just me.” 

He blinked at her and pushed his glasses back onto his eyes. Harry smiled when she came into view. 

“Hey,” he yawned, reaching for her. “How was the game?” 

“Long,” Ginny sighed, curling into his chest. 

“Yeah, Lily was mad they had to leave early.” 

“Wish I could have,” Ginny said, yawning herself now. 

“Lils said it was a good game though,” he said, lazily stroking her back. 

“It was. I’m just tired. Missed you.” 

Harry pulled her lips to his and kissed her deeply. Ginny closed her eyes and smiled into his lips. She could never quite get over how good it was to kiss him. 

“I’m sorry,” he said when they broke apart. “I just had so much to do before vacation and I didn’t want to have to worry about stuff when home and--” 

“Looks like you did bring some stuff home, though,” Ginny teased, kicking at the parchment on the ground. 

He reddened. 

“That was the only thing. I just couldn’t be in the office anymore and I was hungry, so I took it home to read.” 

“Did you finish it?” 

“Erm, I don’t remember,” he said honestly. “I may or may not have fallen asleep halfway through. It’s a boring report about, erm, boring stuff that I can’t be bothered to remember right now.” 

Ginny giggled and kissed his cheek. 

“Well, I’ll keep the kids busy for an hour tomorrow so you can finish it--if you do the same so I can wrap the kids’ presents.” 

“Deal,” he said, and then adding. “Doesn’t that take a flick of the wand?” 

“Wrapping the presents? Yes, but I have to do each individually otherwise I always seem to have to fix little things by hand anyway. And someone,” she looked pointedly at him, “went a little crazy with the gift-buying again.” 

She knew Harry didn’t mean to spoil their kids, but it just happened. He would be in Diagon Alley to pick up potions ingredients and come home with new Quidditch gloves for Lily. 

“I just want them to have a good Christmas,” Harry mumbled, sheepishly. 

Ginny kissed his lips and squeezed his hand. 

“They will.” 

“Teddy still coming round for dinner tomorrow?” she asked. 

“Yep, and Victoire, too. I thought I’d make roast beef.” 

“Mmm,” Ginny groaned in delight. “And Lils is going to want to make Christmas cookies.” 

“Of course,” Harry grinned. “The three of them are going to be bouncing off the walls.” 

“This is the calm before the storm,” Ginny chuckled. 

“But Ron and Hermione are still eating at their house. They’re telling them tomorrow.” 

“I know,” Ginny cooed. 

Hermione was planning to run for Minister of Magic, something Hermione and Ron wanted to okay with Rose and Hugo that night. 

“Merlin, I can’t wait until she’s in charge,” Ginny sighed. 

“I know. Maybe I’ll finally get a night off.” 

“With Hermione as minister?” Ginny snorted. “Fat chance. Your workload is about to double, love.” 

“But maybe Hermione will run things so efficiently that there will be less work,” Harry said hopefully. 

“Oh, she’ll run things efficiently, but she’ll come up with a whole host of amazing ideas that will put loads more work on your plate.” 

Harry moaned and rubbed his temples. Ginny replaced his hands with hers. 

“I really did want to go tonight,” Harry said earnestly as Ginny shifted her hands to a knot in his neck. 

“It’s all right,” she said lightly. “I told you when you bought the tickets that you wouldn’t be able to make it.” 

“I hate that,” Harry grumbled, sitting up a little more. Ginny knew he was guilty that he had spent so much time working lately. 

“Hey,” Ginny said, turning fully toward him and taking his face in her hands. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that I knew today would be busy for you. Because I know you care about your job and would want to leave the department in order. Because you’re taking the next two weeks off. Because you’re a great dad and husband who loves his family and wants to spend time with his kids.” 

Harry smiled sadly at her. 

“I love you,” he said finally. 

“I love you, too.” 

They kissed again, more intently this time. Ginny shifted onto Harry’s lap, her arms curling around his neck and her fingers scraping his scalp. Harry trailed his hands up and down her back, breathing in the flowery scent that still made the monster in his chest roar, and moving his lips to her collarbone, leaving Ginny sighing. 

If they were a little bit younger and a little less tired, Ginny would have reached for the edges of his robes. But when she went to kiss his neck, she found herself resting her head there instead 

They were quiet for a while. Ginny didn’t want to have to get up. She just wanted to sit there forever while Harry rubbed slow circles into her back. She knew if she fell asleep, Harry would carry her to bed. But his eyes were drooping and he looked like he was about to pass out himself. They couldn’t fall asleep on the couch. They would wake up with sore backs and necks. 

So, Ginny extracted herself from Harry’s lap and tugged her groaning husband up from the coach. 

They leaned on each other for support as they stumbled their way up the stairs and into their bedroom. With her eyes half-closed, Ginny tore off her dress robes and bra, throwing them in what she hoped was the direction of her hamper. Not bothering with pajamas, she collapsed into bed, curling up against Harry’s bare chest. He mumbled something she couldn’t make out. 

“What?” she whispered.

“I’m excited,” he uttered through a yawn. “For James and Al.” 

He gave a loud snore and Ginny smiled, kissing his chin. Soon, she was asleep, too.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
